This is a most fascinating article. And yes, it’s from 2006 – but it is highly relevant.

We are so lucky to be alive in this day and this age. We haven’t cured cancer or AIDS (yet – I do believe one will be cured in my lifetime), but we’ve made such amazing strides in medicine and those strides have saved millions of lives.

The Peanut has not progressed with eating the way other kids have. There’s no way around trying to describe it – he doesn’t eat much of anything, he doesn’t really feed himself and what he does try to eat, he mostly spits out after absorbing whatever liquid comes out. The Chop and I have tried for months to change this with no success, so at his most recent well visit, our pediatrician gave us the numbers for specialists.

One scheduled us for an appointment in six weeks (sigh), one had no openings and one scheduled an intake appointment almost immediately – which happened today. She came to the house, filled out reams of paperwork, talked to us and watched him eat.

And for the first time in weeks, I feel a huge sense of relief. The hardest part about wondering if your child might have a problem is everyone else in your life disagreeing. He might be picky, it’ll take time, just give him some space, etc., are just a few of the responses we’ve heard when discussing his problems with eating. But he’s our child and we know that something is not right.

The intake person thinks he’ll qualify – he has to score low enough in a particular category to qualify – and if he doesn’t, she said, we can use clinical opinion to make the decision that he needs to be in the program. It’s a great program, largely covered by the state and our insurance (we have to pay $1500 a year, but a private program can be upwards of $1500 a month) and she is going to request to be on his team (of course he charmed her – my son has lady killer skills), and we’re ready for some help.

He’s so smart in other ways – the intake person loved interacting with him – but his complete un-interest in food is a problem.

While I understand and respect the purpose and reason for taxes, I’m still sad that I have to pay them – particularly when my tax rate hovers around 25-30%. The estimated taxes we paid last year were just shy of what I needed to pay, so fortunately my last check for 2011 wasn’t too bad. My first check for 2012, on the other hand, was very sad.

I’ve got to figure out how to be more like Mitt Romney… and that is the only time anyone has ever uttered those words, lol. Because he’s taxed on investments and not earnings, his tax rate is half mine. Total nonsense if you ask me.

I watch and read and listen to a lot of stuff… news, current events, TV, radio, etc. I like knowing what’s going on and I honestly think my brain thrives on a massive influx of information.

Over the years of reading the news, I’ve looked at pictures of “madmen” (serial killers, murderers, rapists, etc.) and often wondered if anyone around them knew it was coming. I’m not saying they could’ve stopped it, just if they wondered if that person was all there.

This morning CNN posted a video of the psycho from Norway who murdered 77 people (mostly teenagers). He entered his plea, “I acknowledge the acts but do not plead guilty, and I claim I was doing it in self-defense.” This is the first time I can remember looking at a picture or video of a serial killer and thinking, His eyes are absolutely, 100% those of a madman. And he is terrifying.

This is not the face of someone you could negotiate with. If he was targeting you, I don’t believe anything but lethal force would stop him.

We started having to pay estimated taxes last year, which means I have to deal with taxes four times a year instead of one. It’s utterly annoying and frankly one of the worst things about running your own business (right up there with dealing with business insurance and finagling health insurance).

April 15 now potentially requires me to write four checks. Two for estimated taxes for the current year and two for taxes from the previous year (if I didn’t pay enough in estimated taxes). This year I only have to write two, as I over-payed my state taxes and that can be rolled over to pay for the current estimated taxes, but technically I have to write eight per year, no matter what.

Eight checks to the government. Sigh. It’s painful.

Today was the first time I picked up the Peanut to give him a hug and he said, “Mama, Mama” and hugged me back. He’s said “mama” before, but I’m never sure he knows it’s my name. And he’s a great little hugger, but the combination of mama and a hug just bowled me over.

I woke up sick this morning, which sucks because being a parent and being sick is a crappy combination. The Peanut is unimpressed with my desire to pass out and do nothing – as evidenced by his newest fascination with banging pots and pans together and jumping on the bed.

We took the Peanut down to hang with friends this afternoon, two adorable little boys who love to play and are highly entertaining. The Porkchop ended up pushing the boys in cars all around the yard, then spinning them until they fell over dizzy (toddlers walking into each other = hilarious).

He informed me on the way home that he was ready to try for another. 😉

Don’t take a walk after the rain, when you think the rain has stopped. It will hail on you.

A lot.